Before the Imprint: Old Foxes
by XlaraC
Summary: Prequel to Play the Fox. Ever wondered just how different from us, and yet how similar, the foxes in the forest might be? Bella and her brothers are new members to the leash, and have much to learn.
1. As Pups

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Twilight._

**_Author's note: _**_This is a prequel to _Play the Fox_, but can also stand alone. It will be all in Bella's point of view._

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><p><strong>Old Foxes<strong>

**Chapter One: As Pups**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

I could remember the taste of my mother's milk, filling my stomach with warmth and making me feel content. She would gently lick the fur around my ears, before moving onto the ears of my brothers, lavishing them with the same nurturing feeling.

My father was part of the hunting party, always heading out to catch more mice or birds, sometimes even finding some berries that he would specially save for our mother, knowing it would sweeten her milk, becoming a treat for her _and _us. He was always taking care of us, unlike some of the other males with offspring, who would watch over their kin from a distance, never truly becoming a part of their lives. But we were a family, the five of us… well, six, really.

About two seasons before our birth, our grandfather had gotten very sick. We had never really been told how bad it was, but we know that it was bad enough for him to lose his hearing in one ear and dim his eyesight. The leader of our leash, Lewis, had taken him out for a hunt, to see how his abilities were with his diminished senses. Unfortunately for our grandfather, he was told that he was a liability, barely being able to catch a mouse, let alone protect him our another member from harm. So he was grounded to the den circle, only allowed to leave the circle when he was with another member of the leash.

Though we were sad about him being told he couldn't hunt anymore, my brothers and I loved all the attention he gave to us. He was always telling us stories about his youth, such as when he caught his first mouse, when he got his first taste of the sweet berries that grew by the riverside, and when he had gotten into his first scuffle with a fox from a different leash. We sat captivated as he told us the story, not wanting to move even when our mother approached with promise of more milk.

I never bragged to my brothers, but I had always known that our grandfather had a soft spot for me. He would sometimes look at me with a loving expression in his eyes, before they would flash with the knowledge of a secret. When my brothers and I were finally old enough to go on our first hunts, he pulled me aside and weaved a tale of shape shifting animals in my mind, telling me the legends of those who lived long ago.

I listened to his story, before bouncing off after my brothers, eager to catch a nice, meaty mouse. But, as I did, I had a feeling that the legends that my grandfather had spoken to me would have some kind of profound impact on my life. I guess I would just have to wait and see.

"Hurry up, Bella!" My brother, Reese, called out to me. He was always complaining about how slow I was, but everyone knew he was the fastest in the leash; he wasn't named something that meant 'running' for nothing.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I said irritably. I'd woken up with a slight sniffle this morning, the damp of the Dying Season was starting to set into my fur and my paws, and I didn't like it. My brothers had always had thicker fur than me, though, even though it was a long way off until our adult coats started growing in. Kemp, our other brother, was prancing around this morning without a care in the world, though he did ask me once or twice if I was sure I was okay enough to go hunting, which I said I was.

Caron, our mother, had fawned all over me like I was a kit from her womb, even though all three of us had just celebrated our second month anniversary. She had tried to convince me to remain in our den, but I _really_ wanted to go hunting, sniffle be damned.

Unfortunately, as we had all gotten used to in the past couple of days, the cold and dampness of the Dying Season not only had an effect on the immune systems of members from our leash, but on the prey in the forest. The little amount we did keep were all plumped up for the Dead Season, all fat and juices and little meat, which is what truly satisfied us. It had also been weeks since our father, Liam, had managed to find any berries to pick, and so the little milk that Caron still managed to cram into our mouths was no longer sweet, instead just the familiar warmth and comfort we had known all of our lives. We were aware that soon the trickle of white liquid would stop, and no longer would we be able to go to her for a quick meal, instead having to hunt for all of our food, like the others.

As I caught up with Reese, needing to wait only a second before Kemp was also at our side, we walked into the den circle side by side, heading towards our den to share our kills with Caron and Cathal, our grandfather.

"More overfed mice?" Cathal asked disgustedly as he took stalk of the scent we brought in with us, looking through his blurry vision at the prey we had caught.

My brothers and I rolled our eyes at each other teasingly, knowing that Cathal wasn't truly disgusted with our catch. He would eat anything nowadays, wanted to 'fatten up' for the Dead Season. Plus, there was the bonus fact that he always had a sparkle of pride in his eyes whenever we returned from hunting, even more so when he turned towards me. My brothers and I had only been hunting since our first month, but already we were quite well-trained and no longer needed a supervisor while in the woods. Liam had told us that, many a time, it took well over six months for a young fox to be left in the forest, but it seemed my brothers and I were the exceptions.

"Sorry, Cathal," I told him, smiling at him as best I could, showing off my sharp teeth. "We couldn't find anything else," I shrugged.

"Ah, well; I don't mind, then, little one, as long as you three _did_ actually try to look for more prey, instead of just sticking with what was close and easy," he gave us all suspicious looks, laughing when we all looked away. "Just what I thought, you lazy pups."

We all smiled at him as he dug into his portion of our hunt, before deciding to share a rather large mouse between the three of us, leaving another one for Caron, which she took easily as she smiled.

As my brothers and I lay side-by-side together, as it had always been, I wondered about our life here in the forest, and why – staring at the quickly deteriorating warrior that was our grandfather – it suddenly seemed so short.

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><p><strong>Is this interesting so far? Yes, Bella had brothers, brothers that she loved deeply. As it was hinted at, she was very rarely away from them – they all stuck together.<strong>

**A little fox terminology – a 'leash' is a group of foxes, in case you didn't guess. And once baby foxes are old enough – at least, in my story – they refer to their family members by name.**

**Next chapter should be up soon, but until then… review, and remember me.**


	2. As Siblings

**Old Foxes**

**Chapter Two: As Siblings**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors." – Thomas Fuller**_

"We don't care whether you're just passing through, or not," my brother, Kemp, growled at the intruder. His reddish fur was bristling with anger and distrust. "We want you off of our territory _now_."

While we were out hunting, Reese, Kemp, and I had come across an unfamiliar scent, and had chased after it to find an unknown fox on our land. He had made up some excuse about just 'passing through', but we knew he was hunting. We could tell by the fact that he had been in a hunting crouch when we spotted him, his ears perked in the direction of a mouse that was eating some seeds under the bushes. Usually, we might let someone who was hunting in our territory off with a warning, but since the Dying Season had begun we all knew that prey would soon be hiding from the cold, and so we needed to protect every bit of our territory from outsiders.

"Alright, alright," the unknown male muttered, casting a glance between the three of us and our predatory stances. Even though we were several months younger than him, he knew he didn't stand a chance against all three of us, especially not Kemp, who was already bigger than Liam. His gaze seemed to linger on me longer, but as Reese let out a low snarl and leaped towards him, he turned and fled.

We stood still for a moment longer, before my crazy brothers started laughing. "Did you see the way he ran with his tail between his legs?" Kemp gasped out, falling onto my side just as Reese did the same thing, causing me to fall over in between them. This, unfortunately, led to them falling on top of me, practically crushing me.

"Let me out, you big idiots!" I said, struggling to get out of the fox-pile they had put us in. They, still laughing, did as I asked, helping me get up. "Come on, we need to hunt."

"Oh, lighten up, Bella," Kemp said, following after me as I began searching for the scent trail we had no doubt lost since the beginning of the confrontation.

I turned and dragged my tail across his side, thinking of what to say to him. "We need to hunt," I said finally, walking away, knowing they would follow. "Liam told us to be back before sunset."

I could hear Reese mocking me, but I shrugged it off; he was _always _mocking somebody around here. I also catch the scent of a mouse nearby, and take off after it, being careful to be quite so as not to scare my prey away.

My brothers weren't quite as smart about it. They were always trying to chase I away, and so I shouldn't have been surprised when they came growling after me, and the scent of mouse faded as it scuttled away in terror. I rolled my eyes, knowing it would take forever to hunt with my brothers.

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><p>Laying in the den later that night, we were told that we would soon be expected to make our own den. Pups couldn't remain with their mother forever, and there was also the fact that it was almost time for my mother to birth again – she needed the room for her new denlings.<p>

"We'll get started on it tomorrow," Kemp – always the wise one – promised her. I curled up closer to him, and allowed Reese to curl up on my other side. We were the closest litter of pups in the leash; the others had all split up soon after they were weaned off of their mother's milk. But my brothers and I were always together; the best of friends. They took care of me, and I took care of them.

"You have fun, then," Caron told us, her eyes bright with pride. "And be careful not to wander too far away while looking for moss; if you can't find any, ask Liam."

Reese nodded sleepily. "Okay, mother," he said while yawning. We all fell asleep quickly after that.

Sometime in the middle of the night I was woken by something. I started, wondering who was prodding my tail. I could still feel my brothers beside me, and I could see Caron and Liam curled up on the other side of the den, so that left…

"Cathal?" I asked through a yawn. "What are you doing?"

"Shh," he whispered, looking at my brothers. "Come on, we have to do this outside." He moved outside quickly.

_Do _what _outside_? I wondered, following after him until we were in a little opening just outside of the main den circle.

He was sitting on his back haunches, watching the moon. I didn't feel the need for interrupting the silence, and so I sat down beside him without making a noise.

"Our people have great magic within them, Bella," he began after a few moments of looking at the sky. I turned towards him, knowing his 'story telling voice' well. I hadn't heard this one before, though. "But hardly any of them know it. There was a time when we wanted to communicate with the other animals of the forest, and we had to learn a way. And we did.

"All the animals learned how to change their shapes, turn themselves into something else. They turned themselves into Uprights – or humans, as they are now known."

"Humans?" I cut him off, unable to help myself. "But they're our enemies."

He answered calmly, seemingly not upset about my interruption. "We didn't always label them in such a way, dearling. Once they were merely a way for us to communicate – we would change into a human body, and our language would then be the same as the languages of the wolves, the whales, the deer – everything in the forest would be able to speak the same words and understand each other."

He stopped talking for a while, thinking. I spoke up after a few seconds. "Why can't we change into human creatures anymore, then?"

And he turned towards me. "Oh, we can, Bella – but I am the only one who truly knows how at the moment. The magic has been passed down from fox to fox for generations, and at any given time only one fox knows how to shift. We keep it a secret."

"So, why are you telling me?" I asked, curious.

"I'm getting old, Bella," he said tiredly, but with wisdom. "It's time to pass on the magic. And I've chosen you to be the next carrier of it."

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><p><em><strong>I'm so sorry for the long wait, and for the unexpected hiatus. As of this moment, I am still on a hiatus-of-sorts, but I'm going to be trying a lot harder to make up a schedule for updating. I don't know when I'll be able to update next.<strong>_

_**I feel as if I need to explain why I didn't write for a while, and so – of course – I'm going to tell you all the truth. A little over a month ago – the day I got writer's block – I found out my father had passed away. So, if that helps at all, that's my reason for not updating. It's been rough going at home for a while, and I don't know if it'll ever get better, but I'm not giving up on my writing. You can expect more from me soon, I just don't know how soon.**_

_**Oh, and please don't write any comments about being sorry or anything like that – I've gotten enough people saying things like that around here, I don't need to hear it from any of you. (Sorry if that seems rude.)**_

_**Review, please, and remember me.**_


	3. As a Listener

**Old Foxes**

**Chapter Three: As a Listener**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

For the next few days, I kept watching for a sign from Cathal. I wasn't sure when he would pull me away next for the lessons he had promised me.

After he had told me that he had chosen me to be the next carrier of the magic – whatever that meant – he had simply told me to wait for him to call me, and then to go back to sleep. I'll admit to being a little disappointed, but I had to hide it from my brothers. This was, after all, a rather huge secret.

My brothers and I had a fun time building our den – Caron and Liam watched us with proud eyes, and even went with us to help us gather moss for our bedding. In her pregnant state, Caron wasn't supposed to be out of her den much, but she said that she wouldn't miss this for anything; we were her first litter, after all.

"Now, Bella, you need to fluff it up a bit after you weave it," she instructed me as my brothers worked on digging the actual burrow. "That way, it won't get caught in your fur as often."

I did as instructed, determined to get this as perfect as possible. I wanted to show her that we were capable of being on our own; she'd been worried that maybe she'd gotten pregnant again too soon, but we all knew we needed more pups. The leash had been going down in size because there were less females being born.

I had just about finished the nest when Cathal swept by, casually brushing the tip of his tail against the fur between my ears. I looked up at him, curious, and saw him wink at me before disappearing into the bushes. I quickly finished and snuck away after him, eager to begin my lessons.

I bounded after his scent trail, ignoring many different scents – birds, mice, and the like. I was hungry, but not hungry enough to veer from my current path.

He was sitting in the same clearing we'd gone to before, in the same position. He was even looking up at the sky again, though this time it was at the sun and clouds and not the stars and moon. I suppose it was still a nice thing to look at.

Before I had the chance to sit down beside him, he spoke. "Your ancestors are up there, you know," he whispered. "They're watching you, and helping you along the way to ensure you do well. They've spoken to me about you – they're the ones who pointed me in your direction when I started looking for someone to pass the magic down to."

"What do you mean?" I asked softly, looking at him with what I was sure would be a wondering gaze.

He chuckled. "I suppose you'll find out later, dearling. For now, I must tell you the stories, so that you may understand. As I told you three nights ago, we weren't always able to complete this shift into human form. It was a learned thing. There are legends about it, and here's how one of them goes:

"Thousands of years ago, all of the native-humans were animals. Groups of bears, wolves, deer, whales, foxes, squirrels... and when the animals began moving closer to each other, living in the same forests, they began to realize that they could not converse with each other.

"Somehow, a wolf by the name of Taha Aki learned how to change into a human form; he showed all of us, and soon every one of the animals was able to shift into the form of a human. While in human form, we were all able to speak the same language, and so we were able to decide, civilly, where each animal would live.

"Some groups became enemies, such as the wolves and the deer – the wolves began hunting the deer for meat. Others became friends, such as the deer and the squirrels. The whales did not partake in any of the fights, disappearing back into the ocean; they did not see a need to converse with the other animals, seeing as how they could live in the water peacefully.

"After awhile, some of the groups became so comfortable with their human forms, that they began living out their lives in them. One such group was the wolves, who evolved so that they were born human, and some had the gene to turn into a wolf to protect their tribe. These wolves were not like the normal wolves; they were much larger, and stronger, and faster. The wolves you come across in the forest are wolves without the ability to change.

"Another group who began living as humans were the bears; they gave up their lives in the forest, leaving those behind who had never learned how to change shape. They gave up their bear shape altogether, much preferring to live as a human.

"The deer and the squirrels both split up, some staying behind in the forest and others moving on to live as people; the foxes were different, though. They appreciated very much the ability to converse with the other groups and tribes, but their life in the forest was much too good to give up. Over the years, most forgot how to change into a human, but there were a select few who continued to change regularly so that they could keep their shifting magic alive.

"Slowly, the animals changed; they forgot how to converse. The whales were never spoken to again, and the humans who were once animals forgot their animal ancestry. The animals forgot all about being able to turn into humans – all except the foxes. The foxes knew that there might come a time when the knowledge was needed again, and so they made sure that at least one person in their tribe would be able to shift."

Cathal stopped talking, and just watched the sky. I sat beside him, staring at the ground and pondering what he had just told me, until I had to ask some question. "So, you have the ability to shift into a human, then?" I asked him, looking up at him with wide eyes.

He chuckled again, before moving forward away from me. He didn't speak, he just began to shudder slightly. Some loud cracking sounds rang out through the clearing, and I cringed a few times. I didn't realize that I had closed my eyes until I opened them, and was shocked. Standing in front of me wasn't the wise, old fox I had known my entire life. Instead, a rather withered looking human was standing on shaking legs. The human opened its mouth, and spoke – and, somehow, I could understand.

"If you are willing to become my student, I will teach you this, Bella; are you willing?"

I knew my mouth was open; I knew, and yet I couldn't close it. But still… I found myself nodding. I was _definitely_ willing to become his student.

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><p><em><strong>So, this update came pretty easily, actually. I hope you all like it. Nothing much else for me to say, except that I have a poll on my profile (that doesn't seem to be working…) so if you all would read the very first thing on my profile, I would appreciate it. It has to do with what <strong>_**Strange Imprints**_** story you would all like to read next. And on my spam blog there are little posts about what my possible stories are about.**_

_**Review, and remember me.**_


	4. As a Student

**Old Foxes**

**Chapter Four: As a Student**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

"The first step to the shift is to close your eyes and clear your mind," Cathal calm voice said from beside me. I did as he said, shutting my eyes to the starry night sky, breathing deeply in, trying to prevent my brain from identifying all the different smells. "Relax, dearling," he whispered.

I could feel my muscles stretching as I did so, and apparently it was easy to see from his position, as well, because he sighed before telling me the next step. "Imagine the humans – the way they walk, run, breathe, eat… anything you can think of about them." This as a little difficult, because I had never really seen a human before, only heard about them in stories. I tried my best, though, thinking of the aged human I had seen him turn into before. As I did so, I could feel something inside of me changing, and suddenly loud cracks were filling the clearing.

I knew what they were – they sounded exactly like the cracks that had sounded when he had shifted in front of me. But, still; I freaked.

My eyes were open in a flash, and I looked down quickly. My paws were bigger, my toes more spread out. I was bigger than Cathal was now, too; more human like... I had gotten it right. But, I wasn't changing anymore.

I started spinning in circles, noticing that my tail was shorter, as well. "What happened? I did it wrong, didn't I? Oh my Starfox, I'm stuck like this forever, aren't I?" My voice was getting more high-pitched as I went on.

He just laughed at me, though. Laughed! Here I was freaking out and he was laughing at me. "Relax, dearling; the same thing happened to me on my first try. All you need to do is close your eyes and focus on returning back to normal."

It was harder to relax, knowing about the odd state I was in. But, I somehow managed, and when I next opened my eyes I was back to my regular size. I slumped down. "I'm not able to do it, am I? You regret picking me to take on the secret," I stated sadly, knowing it to be true.

He laughed again, though this time I got the sense it wasn't at me. "No, I would never regret choosing you for this. You just need to keep trying, Bella; you aren't going to get it perfect on your first try."

"You really think I can do it, Grandfather?" I asked softly, reverting back to the name we used to call him when we were just newlyborns. I looked down at the ground as I pawed it carefully with my left foot.

"I know you can do it, Bella," he said truthfully. I looked up at him and the look in his eyes was gentle. "Come on, try again."

And, despite my fears, I listened. I relaxed my muscles, breathed in deeply… and imagined. I had to try very hard to keep my eyes closed as the cracks began ringing out once more, but somehow I managed to keep the outcome in mind. The next time I opened my eyes, I was much bigger…

…and definitely not a fox, anymore.

I almost freaked out again when a gentle hand was laid on my shoulder. "Relax, Bella; you've done it," he whispered into my ear, and I recognized his voice easily. I turned towards him, managing to stand up on my hind legs – or, I suppose now they were just my legs. I held out my front paws… _hands_… and looked at them, turning them this way and that. _This_ would take some getting used to. I felt so confined in this body, not to mention _huge_.

"I did it?" I asked, though he had just said so. My voice was louder, too… and somehow, I knew I was no longer speaking fox, but some other language. I could understand it just as easily, though, like it was engrained in me.

He laughed brightly. "Yes, you've done it! And you look beautiful, dearling," he said while turning me towards him, bringing me into an embrace. Some miniscule part of my mind described it as a _hug_, something that the humans did. I don't know how I knew it, but I somehow did. I mentally shrugged it off; I needed to get used to this.

He stepped back away from me, and I looked up into his face. I noticed that I was quite a bit smaller than he was, and that same small part of my brain told me it was because I was young, and that I would grow as I aged, just like when I was in my original form.

"Humans are so strange," I whispered, looking at his very different-looking face. Somehow, though, he still looked the same… I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it was the wisdom in his eyes, or the calm features of his face. He certainly _sounded _like my grandfather, anyways.

"You'll get used to it," he promised. "Now, come on – you still have much to learn." And with a glance backwards towards the den circle, he ushered me through the trees, taking off at a run towards the place my brothers and I had been forbidden to go near.

He was leading me towards the human place.

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><p><em><strong>Okay, well here you go. I don't know how you are going to take this one, but I hope you like it. This story is actually going pretty well. I foresee the ending coming soon; there's really not much to tell with this story. If there is anything you would like to see, though, send me a message.<strong>_

_**Again, I would like to ask you to go to my profile and read the first thing on the very top of it. It has to do with future **_**Strange Imprints**_** stories.**_

_**Review, and remember me.**_


	5. As a Hunter

**Old Foxes**

**Chapter Five: As a Hunter**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

As we returned to the den circle later on, my eyes were wide with all that I had seen. Humans could be so _weird_. They had shiny metal things called 'vehicles' to get around in, instead of running or walking. They lived in big, wooden structures called 'houses'. And, hilariously, they thought the woods were 'dangerous' because they were full of 'wild animals'.

Little did they know, a select few of said wild animals could hide in plain sight… and I was now one of them.

Cathal warned me, though, that - until I was truly in control of the shifting – I still should stay away from the human lands. He told me that if anybody were to see me shift, they would call somebody and they would take me away from the forest, my home, and run tests on me and poke and prod me. I didn't like the idea, so I promised – wide eyed – to stay as far away as I could until I was in control.

"Hey, Bella!" I heard Kemp called out as I approached our newly finished den. I was looking forward to a long, sleep-filled night after all the strain I'd put on my mind earlier.

"Hi, Kemp," I replied tiredly, leaning into him as he ran to walk beside me.

"What's wrong? You look exhausted," he said, worried.

I laughed lightly. "Nothing's wrong; I was just out hunting with Cathal. You know how much trouble he can get into, at times."

He didn't look to happy with me. "You know he's not supposed to be out hunting, Bella," he shook his head at the thought.

I licked his cheek quickly as we stopped outside the opening to the den; I could hear Reese's soft snores coming from inside, and was eager to join him in slumber. "I know, that's why I went with him. I was watching him closely, don't worry."

He sighed, rolling his eyes, but he didn't look upset or worried, anymore. "Why can't I stay angry with you?"

"Because you love me," I quipped, turning around and rubbing my tail against his side before hurrying in a cuddling against Reese, falling into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>"The trick to staying in human form is to have a small part of your mind focused on what it means to <em>be<em> human, Bella," Cathal told me quietly, standing beside me. I had my eyes closed, as per his orders. He was teaching me how to remain in my alternate form for long amounts of time. Currently, I could get to around an hour and a half before a sharp pain with pierce my stomach and I would suddenly 'pop' back into fox form. He would laugh, but I knew it wasn't at me. He always assured me the same things had happened to him when his grandmother, Flora, had been teaching him.

I tried to do what he asked, interrupting my thoughts once in a while with an image of a human. I grimaced after a few minutes. "How do you do that without it annoying you so much?" I asked, and my voice was tense as I concentrated.

He laughed again. "You get used to it in time, Bella; I remember how frustrated I was when I was your age."

I couldn't help but tease him. "That was so long ago I'm surprised you can remember anything." That little sentence was enough for me to lose my concentration, though; the pain ripped through my stomach again and I was once again a fox, shaking my head to try to rid myself of the odd feeling of the shift. "Dang it."

He didn't laugh this time, instead he lifted his human head to the sky and sighed. "Liam instructed you to go hunting with your brothers, did he not?"

I sighed, too. I'd made a lot of progress today, and I didn't want it to end just when I almost had it. "Yes, he did. I suppose I should head back to the dens and gather them. Knowing Reese, he's convinced Kemp to lie down for a nap… again."

This time, he _did _laugh. "Alright. We'll continue this tomorrow, same time – unless you have something to do." He turned and walked off, and I knew he was going to be spending some more time in his second form. He'd told me that he wanted to soak up the ability as much as possible, since his time on this Earth was coming to an end. He'd lived much longer than the normal fox – about three times as long, actually – and had birthed many pups. His time was almost at an end.

I couldn't help but wonder as I noticed the slow and careful way he was walking – would I be able to finish my training before we were forced to have his burial assembly?

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><p>"You guys walk so loud, I'm surprised you can catch anything," I griped as Reese stepped on <em>yet another<em> twig. This was the third time they'd scared away my prey, and I was half convinced they were doing it on purpose, now.

"Oh, like you're much better," Kemp said quietly, his eyes tracing a scent we had just come across. "You may not walk loud, but you always pounce too early."

I sniffed at him. "I still catch them, don't I?"

"Barely," Reese muttered, and I turned and gave him the stink eye. He was still grumpy because I had woken them from their afternoon naps. I don't know why I bothered – I could have found enough prey for all of us by now, if I hadn't had their loud footsteps and breathing following me around. _It's because Liam ordered all _three_ of you to go,_ my mind answered, and I nodded in reflection. What Liam says, goes.

"There's a mouse hiding in those rushes," Kemp barely whispered, and instantly all three of us had our ears and eyes trained towards our prey. He was right, but what I don't think he realized was that there wasn't one mouse, but two. I told him as such, and he cocked his head, before deciding I was right.

"Who?" Reese asked, and all of us knew what he meant.

"You got the last one," Kemp muttered, and Reese nodded before backing up quietly (amazingly). Kemp looked at me, and I met his stare; in a second, both of us were stalking towards the rushes.

It look barely any effort; we each caught a mouse as they tried frantically to dart away. Reese darted back to receive his previous catch, and each of headed back to camp with our fresh kills firmly clamped between our jaws.

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><p><em><strong>I'm so sorry this took so long; I had given a few people an answer to when I would update next, and I – obviously – didn't meet that time limit. My life has been pretty busy lately, what with revision and exams. On that note, I had my math exam today, and I'm pretty sure I passed. :) If I didn't, well… oops.<strong>_

_**I am going to be taking down the poll I have on my profile and my blog. Overall, 11 people voted (I was hoping for more, but oh well). Here are the results:**_

**There Will be Fish – 1**

**Puppy Licking – 2**

**An Ordinary Kitten – 6**

**Treed by a Lion – 3**

**The Rose in May – 6**

**Earn Your Stripes – 7**

**A Sly Rabbit – 3**

_**So, as you can see, **_**Earn Your Stripes**_** won with seven votes. However, I am choosing to write more than one story at a time. Currently, I have three stories underway – **_**Old Foxes, Edward's Inferno, **_**and **_**Masterpiece Theatre, Pt. 1. **_**I have room for two more stories on my tentative schedule. Since **_**Earn Your Stripes**_** won, I will be posting the first chapter soon, and since second place was a tie between **_**An Ordinary Kitten **_**and **_**The Rose in May**_**, I tossed a coin. **_**The Rose in May**_** won. So, I will also be posting a chapter of that soon, as well.**_

_**Anyways, review, please, and remember me.**_


	6. As a Teacher

**Old Foxes**

**Chapter Six: As a Teacher**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

"You want _me _to teach Calla's litter?" I asked Liam, half-excited and half-full of nerves. This was a big responsibility, teaching the pups to hunt and, well, survive. It had been barely two seasons since I had been learning all of this stuff. However, I could see why they'd look towards someone else to teach these particular denlings. Whereas my brothers and I had been taught by our father, Calla's mate Kutchin had been killed by rogues just shortly after she'd fallen pregnant. They had no father to learn from, so they had to look elsewhere.

I never thought they'd choose me, though. Our leash was a bit more equalized in that females were allowed to hunt, patrol, and fight, but we still usually left the teaching to the males. I guess they were ready to make an exception.

Liam chuckled, looking down at me – I'd never be as big as him, though we were very similar in colour now that I'd grown into my adult fur. "You'll make a great teacher, Bella; Exan, Milta, and Bram will learn much from you in the weeks to come." He eyed me, before chuckling again and turning to leave. I was tempted to stop him and question why I was chosen for this task, but realized that might make him decide I wasn't confident enough and give the position to someone else. Instead, I turned and made my way proudly – yet still nervously – towards Calla's den, where I knew my new pupils would be.

Reese and Kemp ran up to me when I was about halfway there, falling into step with me. "What did Liam want?" Kemp asked curiously, and Reese seconded the question by twining his tail with mine for a few short seconds.

I puffed out my chest just slightly, happy with my news. "He asked me to teach Calla's young," I said smugly, fully realizing how great a task it was to be given, especially since I was still so young, myself.

Reese breathed out through his nose, and – somehow – it was a happy noise. "Good job, Bells; it'll be good for you to try something new. You _were_ just complaining about how boring the routine was, after all," he teased, but he was also being honest. I thought our patrolling routine _was_ boring; it never changed.

I laughed breathily, beginning to tease them back. "Just remember not to be so noisy when you're hunting – you'll scare even the deer away."

Kemp nudged his shoulder into mine gently, but didn't reply to the jibe. "How do you think teaching them is going to be? I mean, do you remember how bad Tymlan and Tabitla were? They were so hard to teach, and even in the end they didn't know all that they were supposed to know. Do you suppose these three will be just as bad as their older siblings?"

I sighed; I hadn't thought of that, but then again Kemp always _was_ thinking ahead like that. I tried to look on the bright side, though. "I'm sure they'll be fine, even if they _do_ take a little extra work than most denlings," I reasoned.

* * *

><p>I was wrong.<p>

I'd never thought that instructing could be this hard. Of course, thinking back to what Kemp had said, maybe it _was_ just that Calla's children _always_ seemed to be unruly. Her other litter – the aforementioned Tymlan and Tabitla, who were only a month older than my brothers and I – had been kicked out of the leash just shortly before this set had been born; they'd been causing far too much trouble. As I'd told my brother, I didn't believe that these ones would be this bad – they hadn't even _met_ their older siblings before – but they definitely didn't listen very well. I'd been trying to teach them the basics of hunting for days now, and they were still at a point where I might as well just say they'd never been taught anything at all. Maybe there had been an unforeseen problem during the birth, and their heads had been damaged during the process…? It was possible.

I was willing to come up with anything that didn't mean I was a bad teacher.

I suppose I must have looked a little defeated when I brought the three of them back to their mother that night. Calla was eying me with an odd look, and I heard her whisper to them as I was walking away that she'd be right in.

"Bella!" She called to me, and I turned around to watch as she padded her way over to me. She definitely looked a lot more haggard without her mate; I'd have to ask my brothers to hunt for her as well as for us, just to make sure her and her young were fed. I nodded my head towards her as she stood next to me, and I realized with a jolt that I was actually bigger than her. "How are they doing?"

I looked at her, hoping to convey my words without the possibility of anyone overhearing. "Not as well as I'd hoped they'd been doing, but we've still got a lot of time left Calla."

She winced. "Are they as bad as Tymlan and Tabitla were?" I stood awkwardly, not really wanting to answer it, but she didn't let me get away with that. "Please tell me the truth, Bella."

"I don't think they're _as_ bad, Calla," I told her honestly, hesitantly continuing. "But I'm not sure if they'll ever be anything more than breeders."

Her tail and ears slumped, and she sighed. It wasn't very good news to hear that your children would be breeders; as the title said, breeders did nothing but provide more mouths to feed and protect for the leash. Breeders didn't hunt, fight, or patrol; they stayed and worked on birthing more young. Calla had been a breeder herself, but that was only because her and Kutchin had first mated very young; before she could complete her training.

She sighed again, and I looked up at her to see her looking quite sad as she peered into the starry night sky. "I suppose it was only right for me to lose Kutchin, then," she spoke quietly, and her eyes – which were now curiously empty of emotion – peered deeply into mine, and I fought the urge to flinch back away from them. "Our children have done nothing for this clan, after all."

It was the second time in a week that I had the urge to stop someone from walking away – to call them back and say something else – but, also for the second time, I didn't do anything. Mostly because she looked too depressed to continue a conversation with me, but also because – honestly – I couldn't think of anything to say, because in a way… I knew she was right.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Obviously, this was just kind of a filler chapter. There is nothing really important that is coming up in the story; she basically already knows how to phase and speak in the human language, and now I'm just building up to the ending – which is already completed. I hope you guys all like it when I finally post it. I'm looking to have this story done within a week or two. As I may or may not have already mentioned, this story had always been intended to just be a very short prequel to <strong>_**Play the Fox**_**, so don't expect very many more chapters. The way it's going now, it may even be under ten chapters. Like I said, it's going to be short.**_

_**In other news, I have recently posted a new story called **_**Edward's Purgatorio**_**, which is intended to be a spin-off of sorts of my other story **_**Edward's Inferno, **_**but you **_**really**_** don't need to read **_**Edward's Inferno**_** to read this story. It's sort of just like an **_**AU**_** of the original. Also, I posted a new 'note' (I'm pretty sure I literally labelled it 'Note #2') on my profile page, and it has some information for you guys up there.**_

_**Review, please, and remember me.**_


	7. As a Carrier

**Old Foxes**

**Chapter Seven: As a Carrier**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

"Any progress?" Calla asked desperately as I motioned her pups in the direction of the kill that my brothers had just carried to their den – ever since I'd brought up the idea of hunting for them, they'd been taking the situation very seriously. They always came back with more than enough food for the family, and it was good to see them eating so well.

I shook my head carefully, waiting until the three of them were far enough away so as not to hear what I was about to say. I _really_ didn't want to disappoint them, especially since I could tell that they were trying so hard. "I'm sorry, Calla; they're just not cut out for it."

She looked over at them, watching with wide eyes as they played around the opening to the den, most likely wondering why they couldn't just act maturely. It had been over the usual allotted time for training – more than two months had passed, and it was quickly coming to the verge between the Growing Season and the Hot Season. Exan and Bram had gotten minorly better, and that was only because Cathal had pulled me aside and given me some tips for teaching unruly pups. Their sister, Milta, though, had not taken any of the advice I had tried to pound into her head, and was just as playful and, well, unruly as ever.

"Gradings are tomorrow, aren't they?" She asked sadly, shaking her head as well.

I sighed, licking her ear soothingly before answering. "Yes, they are; as much as I tried to avoid it, I'm afraid I'm going to have to announce them as breeders, Calla."

"I figured as much; they never even listen to _me_." She looked dejectedly at her den and her pups. Once again, I figured out what she was thinking pretty easily, but this time I said something.

"My brothers and I will pick out a good den spot for them, and of course we'll continue hunting for you and them until we can figure something better out," I told her, trying to make it easier for her. "I'm sure that Bram will remember which kind of moss you use for lining the den; he was good with plants." It was true; Bram was truly the only one of the trio that showed any promise at any moment during the training, but even he barely listened. Liam had assured me time and time again that some pups were just not trainable, and that it had nothing to do with my ability to teach. Still, it had taken me a long time to get over the idea that my first 'class' wouldn't be going as far as I wanted them to.

"Thank you," she said softly, and I couldn't resist nuzzling her side softly before I turned towards my den, knowing that my brothers would be in there. Tomorrow would be a hard day for me – I _really_ didn't want to announce them as breeders, but I had no choice – and I would need a good sleep to help me.

* * *

><p>I had never seen more disappointed looking faces as the ones of my pupils when I told the leash that we 'should be proud to have three new breeders'. I shook my head sharply at them when they made to approach me afterwards, not wanting them to try to talk me into giving them a better grading. Besides, once it's been announced, it's official. There's no going back to training, unless of course something dire happens and we really need more trained members.<p>

"You did the right thing, Bells," Kemp told me as he joined me later that night. "They weren't cut out for true clan life. They'll make great breeders." As he spoke, I noticed him looking with a fond expression on his face towards the three of them, but as I looked closer, I realized he was only looking at one of them.

I chuckled quietly, knowing he wouldn't hear me. "I think Milta will make a fine mother," I said, looking for the signs.

And here they were: he shrugged, and turned away quickly from the conversation. "I suppose so – but, hey, why don't we go hunting? It's been awhile since all three of us went together."

Before he could bolt away, I blocked him. "Kemp, do you like Milta?" I asked teasingly, but I knew he would know that I also meant it seriously.

He looked embarrassed, so I knew he did. "We started talking a bit whenever I would bring them the food Reese and I had caught; she's very nice, if a little bit playful."

"Maybe that'd what you need, though, Kemp; you've always been very mature and serious, and she could balance you out." I shrugged, knowing he wouldn't want to talk about it anymore than that. "I'll go get Reese, and we can go hunting, okay?"

He nodded, and I realized that he was looking back towards Milta, and I hid a smile; yes, Milta may not have been cut out for 'true clan life', but when I thought about it, she'd make a great mate for my brother.

Reese was easy to find, as always; I had just had to follow the sound of loud talking. I found him conversing with Liam and a few other hunters about sending out patrols.

"We can do a patrol," I offered as I joined them. "I was just coming to get Reese so that he could go hunting with Kemp and I – we can do the patrol and then head out for a hunt."

Liam shrugged before turning to the others. "I don't see why not; good idea, Bella," he nodded towards me, and he and the other adults headed off to their separate dens.

Reese perked up and ran with me back to where I knew Kemp would be waiting for us. "It'll be great hunting as a team again, sis," he spoke excitedly. "Just wait until you see how quiet Kemp and I are now!"

I laughed at him, glad to be with my brothers again. I loved training, but this was where I truly felt I belonged – my own miniature clan within the overall leash. "Well, I've certainly noticed how much kill you two have been bringing in, that's for sure. You must have gotten quieter to bring in that much food." I joked, taking off before he could retaliate.

It was great to be running through the forest again, listening to the sounds of my brothers' quick and – now – light steps bounding after me. I hadn't had the time to go hunting or patrolling without the pups for a while, and it was even better to be enjoying the time with my siblings. Pretty soon, my time would be filled with more training; Liam and Caron had already asked me to train her newest litter, who were my younger siblings. Separate sets of pups were never very close, though; we might as well have not have been related at all. There were only two of them this time, two boys: Revol and Minto. They were quiet kits, and always reminded me of Kemp whenever I saw them. They'd be easy to train – easier than Calla's pups, for sure.

I was just about to pounce on a nearby mouse when I felt Reese tense up beside me, and Kemp was quick to follow. "Do you smell that?" The former asked, and I stood up; being so low to the ground, I could only smell my would-be prey. I heard the mouse scuttle off into the underbrush just as I caught scent of what must have alerted them.

"Rogues," I growled, launching into the direction it was coming from just as they did the same. They were fairly close by, barely in our territory, but it still counted.

"This is our land," Kemp told them strongly. There were four males, so we were outnumbered. It seemed that they took sight of this, as well, as they nearly laughed at the sight of us.

"What are you young'uns going to do about us being here, huh?" One of them – probably the oldest, by the looks of him – said as he stepped towards me, eying me hungrily. I was about to bite back a reply, when a small bundle of fur went flying towards the rogues.

"Stay away from her!" It yelled, and I realized with a frightening jolt that it was Bram; he must have followed us when we went hunting. I lurched forward to help him, and the fight began.

It took a lot of effort, but eventually we managed to send the four of them back to their land. As I stared after them, panting, I grew angry as I remembered something.

"What were you thin-" I reeled around angrily, fully prepared to rant until I sunk something into Bram's head. I was stopped, however, as I caught sight of a bloody, broken body. "Bram?" I asked carefully, looking at it in shock. Kemp was next to him, and I nearly broke down when he looked up at me with sad eyes and shook his head slowly.

He was dead.

I refused any help from my brothers as I lifted Bram up softly by the neck, determined to carry my fallen student back to the dens, especially since it was _me_ he had died defending. And if I thought letting Calla know that her children weren't trainable was bad, seeing her face as I told her what had happened was even harder.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Another filler chapter, I know. Only one more chapter after this and then the epilogue. Sure goes by fast, doesn't it? Even with writer's block. Honestly, though, I'm really looking forward to getting another story off of my plate. I have five more to work on, one of which is only the first part of a trilogy and another which is already seventeen chapters long and is <strong>_**just**_** getting to the main part of my idea for it. Also, just started a new one, which I mentioned in the last author's note, so I'll still have five stories going underway. Life is tough sometimes, that's for sure.**_

_**If it makes it any cooler, I'm writing this in my car right now. I'm on my way back from visiting my older brother for the long weekend. Interesting, isn't it?**_

_**Review, please, and remember me.**_

_**PS - This chapter wasn't supposed to be up until tomorrow, but because I'm so nice I decided to post it today. :) **_


	8. As a Runner

**Old Foxes**

**Chapter Eight: As a Runner**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

I let out a happy noise as I saw Kemp once again entering the forest with Milta hot on his heels; shortly after the death of Bram, Kemp had gotten the guts to truly talk to the young fox and they'd been inseparable ever since. Even Reese had found a mate, even if she was just an untrained pup at the moment. They truly had something special, Reese and Vines; they'd make beautiful kits together.

As for my younger siblings, they were just as fast learners as my brothers and I had been; I'd only been working with them for three weeks and they were already almost ready for their gradings. Caron and Liam were, understandably, very proud of their kits. Caron was actually pregnant again, which means that soon Minto and Revol would need to build a den for themselves to make room for our next batch of siblings. It was good to see so many healthy, intelligent pups being added to the leash, especially since Cathal and the other elders were all but denridden now.

I yawned as I made my way towards the den I shared with only Reese now, as Kemp and Milta had gone as far as to build themselves their own den just last week. I had the sneaky suspicion that Milta was already pregnant with their first litter, but didn't say anything as it hadn't been confirmed yet. I was proud and happy for my brother, though; he deserved a family of his own, and more, even if it meant not having the time to hunt with him anymore.

My sleep was peaceful, until I was woken up by Cathal. "Bella?" I heard his weathered, shaky voice whisper in the darkness, cutting through the silence.

I woke up almost instantly, thinking that he was going to be teaching me something he'd forgotten to before when he'd been passing on the knowledge of how to shift. "Yea?" I yawned, trying not to hit Reese as I made my way out.

"We need to wake the others," he said, frightened. His nearly-blind eyes were wide open, seeing something I had no doubt was not something that was right in front of him. "We need to leave." He was rushed, almost running away, but I stopped him.

"What are you talking about, what's wrong?" I asked, nervous about the situation, looking around me for any sign of something coming. I grew stiff as a bored as he answered me.

"The hunter humans are coming – right now!"

I ran off in an instant, trying to wake up everybody as fast as I could, remembering the clear images I had of the guns and bullets that would kill one of us instantly if we were to get hit by it. Cathal had warned me many times of the humans coming, and all of us knew that when humans were approaching, the only thing you could do was run.

When everyone was awake and made aware of the situation, our carefully protected and structured leash was in chaos. It was mere minutes before we heard the sound of approaching footsteps and voices, and as quick as we could we tried to bolt out of the area, but the humans followed.

"We need to split up!" Liam called out wisely, and everybody did as he said, except for my brothers and I. Even Milta and Vines had already left, heading off into the bush as quickly as possible. Kemp and Reese looked at me though, and I looked back at them.

"I think we should stick together," Kemp said finally. "I don't like the idea of you going off on your own, Bells."

I was about to disagree, but Reese spoke up. "Yea, I don't like it, either; we should stick together."

"No," I said, motioning behind them. "What about Milta and Vines? You should stick with your mates; I'll be fine, and when the coast is clear, all we need to do is find our way back to the den circle. It shouldn't be too hard, not matter _how_ far we run," I reasoned, and reluctantly, they nodded.

"Meet you at the den circle?" Kemp asked, checking, and I laughed hurriedly, hearing the humans approaching steadily.

"I'll be there," I promised, and licked both of them on the ears as they did the same for me. I jumped as I heard a gunshot crack into the air quite close to us, hoping that no one had been hit. I pushed them towards the direction their mates had run in, watching as they left with a sinking heart. Another gunshot rang out through the air, and I saw them both jump through the bushes as it did so.

For some reason, I didn't feel the need to run away anymore, and realized it was because the humans were following my family, and none of them were moving in my direction anymore. But, still, I knew it wasn't safe, and that was proven as more gunshots split through the quiet of the night, and so I turned and bolted, making my way as far from the humans as I could, all the while hoping that the feeling in my gut didn't mean what I think it meant.

* * *

><p><em><strong>It's a little short for a chapter, but it had everything I needed it to say. I apologize for the fact that it was a little more boring than my chapters usually are. Does it make it better to say that I'm writing this while wearing an 'Angry Birds' shirt? I bet it would. This is the last official chapter; only the epilogue is next, and – actually – the epilogue is longer than this chapter is. It ties up the story pretty well, I guess. I always intended it to be short, I'll say again.<strong>_

_**Review, please, and remember me.**_


	9. As Lost and Found

**Old Foxes**

**Epilogue: As Lost and Found**

'_**Old foxes want no tutors.' – Thomas Fuller**_

I am alone.

For the first time in my life, I don't have Kemp and Reese by my side. The sounds of other foxes don't follow me as I walk slowly in the dark of the night. The forest that I love seems so much darker without the comfort of my family surrounding me.

I hunt alone.

Another first for me; I don't have Reese and Kemp to distract me from catching the juicy mouse, and I don't have either of them trying to take it after realizing it's the best catch in the immediate area. I don't have my brothers, I don't have my grandfather. I don't have my mother or father.

I am alone.

For days, I wander around, trying to somehow find the trail back to our dens, in hope that they might have returned after the humans left. I am in an unfamiliar part of the forest – I don't know how to get back home.

But, one day I find a trail. It was old – faint, but there. I can smell Kemp, Reese; I can smell my scent. I knew it must have been one of our hunting patrols. I take off down it, running as fast as I could, knowing it leads to our dens. But when I finally step back into the clearing I loved so much, I realize that there are no new scents – they were all gone.

I am still alone.

I wander aimlessly, trying to catch a glimpse or a whiff of anyone I know. I can't smell any foxes – it's as if I was the only one left in the forest. At night while I'm sleeping I have night scares, my mind conjuring images of the humans hurting my family with their loud sticks, the rock in the end piercing through the minds of my family and killing them. I wake up shaking, howling the names of my brothers.

Two seasons pass as I wander. The Hot Season blends into the Dying Season – it is my second one. How much as has changed since I last contemplated the beginning of this season. I do what we have always done, and begin a stock up on berries and leaves, so that I don't need to rely on prey that will be scarce in the Dead Season.

It gets cold. I long for the feeling of my brothers' fur pressed up against my own. I return to the clearing and walk into the all too familiar den, breathing in deeply as I settle down to sleep as to make me think that they are there with me. I get whiffs of Cathal, as well, and images of times when he would visit me in the night to tell me stories flash through my mind. Oh, how I wish that he could be with me, sharing stories now.

The Dead Season comes. I am cold. The white, fluffy water threatens to make its way into what is now only my den, and so every sun rise I must clear it out. I remember Cathal calling this 'snow', and remind myself of the name for it. The 'snow' is as cold as last years, and so I know that in four seasons it will be just as cold again.

Soon the Dead Season ends, though, and I set out to hunt for the returning mice. They will be thin and stocky, but hopefully will be able to satisfy the never-ending hunger of the Dead Season. With the beginning of the Growing Season comes berries, too, and I feast on them when I find a patch.

When I return to the den, I realize that something else has moved into it – I catch the scent of wolf. I freeze in terror, but also with anger. I know that I cannot fight off a wolf, though, and so instincts send me running back. In three days I find a new clearing, and I make a den underneath a fallen log. It is not as good or wind-resistant as the old one, but it is the best I have.

This is the first den I have ever made on my own.

It is while I am slumbering just outside of this den, though, that I am made aware of changes. I hear something coming towards me fast, and though usually this would have made me scatter in fear, and odd feeling of warmth stretches over me. The sun has been out all day, but even it has never made me feel this warm. I stand and stretch lazily, looking in the direction of the approaching sound.

To my wonder, a human-like being steps out; I know he is not human, knowing that he was approaching too fast for that. As I look into his eyes, the warmth envelopes my body again, and I feel content. More beings like him arrive, as well, and after words that I did not catch are spoken, the first one – the warm one – is in front of me, defending me. I know that I am safe with him, perhaps safer than I was with Kemp or Reese.

He lifts me. I feel contentment, safety… love? Yes, love. I know I love this man, even though I don't understand why. He is my mate. I rub my head into his chest, a low rumbling sound issuing from my chest. I remember this as the sound Caron made when Liam would lay with her – it means happiness. I know I am happy. I feel happy.

I no longer feel alone.

He leaves, but he says he'll be back, and so he is. I knew he would be. He lifts me up again, and when I am in his arms, the others return, as well. He begins to run – and he's much, much faster than the humans who woke us in the middle of the night two and a half seasons ago. Again, I realize he is not human.

I think about what Cathal had told me once, while he was teaching me the magic of shifting. _'I picked you, Bella, because I know that one day you will need to know how to shift.'_

I don't know how my grandfather knew, but he was right; I know, as I lay in this man's arms, that I will be shifting soon – even if it was only to make him happy. I see what grandfather often described as a 'house', and the man steps out into the clearing with me. I turn slightly to look at the forest I love, and I remember my mother's milk, and the contentment and warmth it had given me. I smile in my thoughts, and also in my thoughts I say goodbye to my family, for I am certain now that they are gone. I say goodbye to hunting in the woods, I say goodbye to playing with my brothers, I say goodbye to hearing stories from my grandfather.

We enter the house, and I can no longer see my beloved forest.

I am not alone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The ending. Just to let you know, I had this written before I even finished writing the second chapter. It just came to me, and I had to write it down. How's that for planning ahead? I know that some of it <span>kind of<span> counteracts with things I wrote **_**after**_** the second chapter, but this was my original vision of the ending chapter, and I'm keeping it this way. I apologize for how sad it was at the beginning, as well.**_

_**Well, how did you guys like the story? I'm looking forward to knowing your thoughts on it. This is the official ending for the **_**Play the Fox**_** cycle, parting from possible outtakes, of course. I may come up with an outtake or two for either the original story or this one, who knows.**_

_**If you haven't already, please head over to my profile and check out some of my other stories. I would appreciate it a lot.**_

_**Review, and remember me.**_


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